The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

[bansil]

Good show old man happy rum and coke....oooppss birthday

[JakeC]

It's up!! Looks awesome! And happy birthday as well. Hope you have fully recovered

[wmkbailey]

Originally Posted by JakeC

It's up!! Looks awesome! And happy birthday as well. Hope you have fully recovered

Almost recovered, getting old is over rated.

Raising the roof 10" does not look like much, but being able to see out the windows with out bending over is nice.

[JakeC]

I bet! I actually really like your raise. High enough that it will get you the results you need, but it won't look goofy. Your bus may end up being the cleanest roof raise, yet. Let's face it, Smitty's bus was awesome, but it looked like Frankenstein from the front. Millicent looks awesome, but not streamlined (oxymoron for a bus, I know). Yours has the potential to look VERY clean. I think it will flow better aesthetically is what I'm trying to say, lol.... It will depend largely on if you can slope the rear, as well as the front.

[Diesel Dan]

I agree with JakeC - this roof raise is awesome! It's almost exactly what I was envisioning as how I would do that job, so I'm really excited to see how it works out. Even if you decide to just fill in the gap flat rather than sloped I think it will look okay. Like I said before, if you just add some "stuff" up there on the lower roof sections to break up the lines, I think it will be fine. TV antenna, air horns, solar panel, roof rack... anything like that.

[wmkbailey]

I may keep the rear flat and add roof top storage in that space. It would be easy to get to from the rear. Not sure how I would do a ladder because of the engine door.

[Malkieri]

Just weld the lower rungs right to the door. You probably need to reinforce the door with some thing.....maybe that square tubing you got that didn't work for the roof raise?

I know the exterior slopes are what everyone is looking at right now, but I am more curious what your plans are for the interior of the front sloped edge. Are you going to cut it out so that the sheet metal you add is the new ceiling or are you going to leave it and use it as a shelf for something? Seems to me like a good place for the sound system to be hidden and out of the way.

[somewhereinusa]

Awesome raise, I vote for slanted front straight rear, keeps with the basic roof line of a Thomas.

Not sure how I would do a ladder because of the engine doo

Not sure what your engine door is made of, my Blue Bird came with factory roof rack. Lower rungs are bolted to the door, which is made of about 3/16 aluminum. There are steel plates inside, the whole thing is pretty solid.

[wmkbailey]

Thanks guys sound like that may work, problem solved.

[wmkbailey]

Originally Posted by Malkieri

I know the exterior slopes are what everyone is looking at right now, but I am more curious what your plans are for the interior of the front sloped edge. Are you going to cut it out so that the sheet metal you add is the new ceiling or are you going to leave it and use it as a shelf for something? Seems to me like a good place for the sound system to be hidden and out of the way.

I plan to cut it away and slope it up in a way to add windows there. like the Greyhound Scenicruiser



I know they would be small windows, 8" - 10" high. We will see what I can find.

[bansil]

see that's what I want to do; raise rear 2/3rds

the scenicruiser is my dream bus

[wmkbailey]

Question about riveting.

This is how I plan to rivet the sides of the bus. I'm using the same spacing that the panels around the emergency door uses, 3 1/2" from top then 4 1/2" the rest of the way down.

Here is my pillar after raising the roof.



This is with sheet steel skin over lapped and riveted with above spacing.



My question is; as you can see it will leave two rivets only riveted to the sheet steel skin.



Is this OK, or will this cause an issue later on?

[LuckyChow]

I believe that'd hold just fine. There shouldn't be much stress on that area.

[wmkbailey]

I found two of these on e-bay for $75 each.



They are 35" x 9" tinted RV windows. I think they will work on my new forward cap I have to make for the raised roof. I have anywhere between 12" - 15" depending on how I slant the front area. With the trim ring they are 36 1/4" Wide X 10 3/8" Long X 1 3/4" Deep

[browncrown]

Beautiful job on the roof raise! Like others have said, I like the style, it's going to be great!!!

[JakeC]

Originally Posted by wmkbailey

I found two of these on e-bay for $75 each.

They are 35" x 9" tinted RV windows. I think they will work on my new forward cap I have to make for the raised roof. I have anywhere between 12" - 15" depending on how I slant the front area. With the trim ring they are 36 1/4" Wide X 10 3/8" Long X 1 3/4" Deep

Perfect!!

And I agree that only having rivets attached to the skin in that area won't hurt a thing. The skin is just keeping the elements out

This is looking awesome! I can't wait to see how those windows look on the slant at the front.

Excuse me if this is off-topic but I thought that I might ask you since you're neck-deep in a roof raise... do you think that doing a roof raise by cutting ABOVE the windows would be much harder? When I get a bus I'd like to keep all of the original windows, raise the roof 10-12" and add small windows above the originals (in the space created by the raise) and on the slant (like you're doing). Anyone see a major issue with that kind of raise? Has it been done?

Thanks

PS. This is my first post! I had to sign up after seeing your project.

[wmkbailey]

Originally Posted by ejb

This is looking awesome! I can't wait to see how those windows look on the slant at the front.

Excuse me if this is off-topic but I thought that I might ask you since you're neck-deep in a roof raise... do you think that doing a roof raise by cutting ABOVE the windows would be much harder? When I get a bus I'd like to keep all of the original windows, raise the roof 10-12" and add small windows above the originals (in the space created by the raise) and on the slant (like you're doing). Anyone see a major issue with that kind of raise? Has it been done?

Thanks

PS. This is my first post! I had to sign up after seeing your project.

Thanks,
It would be a little tricky to cut above the window. You have cross supports at the window line. If you cut above, you have nothing to support your roof horizontally. You would have to weld something in to keep the roof in alignment. I have a gutter right at the roof line that I will put my new steel under to prevent leaking. Not sure how you would do that above the window line.

Anything is possible. I have not seen anyone do it above the windows; in the window area gives you an easy place to re-attach the roof.

[eyedeal.ink]

Those windows will look great, I'd definitely go with the tinted and you can't beat the price. Some days I wish I'd have raised our roof, the rear 2/3rds is a great idea, would've cleared the stove pipe too.

[wmkbailey]

Anyone try to install one of these retractable screen doors on the front door? I may give this a try.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/ODL-Stand...-100656632-_-N